The present invention is directed to a simulated crab meat similar in taste and texture to crab meat, and, more particularly, to a simulated crab meat prepared from a molded product of mashed fish meat, such as "Kamaboko".
Crab meat, especially the meat from crab legs, has a very good taste, however in recent years it has become very expensive and, even worst, not readily available. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simulated food resembling crab meat in taste and in texture.
To the best of my knowledge the present state-of-the-art on methods of preparing artificial foods from vegetable proteins or fish meat is exemplified in the following U.S. patents and Japanese patents and publications:
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 2,387,382 PA1 (2) U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,389 PA1 (3) U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,523 PA1 (4) U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,587 PA1 (5) U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,671 PA1 (6) Japanese Patent Publication No. 14,909/1972 PA1 (7) Japanese Patent Publication No. 22,792/1972 PA1 (8) Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. 88,568/1974.
These patented methods and disclosed methods of preparing artificial foods contemplate the provision of food products having enhanced viscosity, elasticity, or taste similar to cattle meat, but they do not provide a simulated meat which resembles crab meat in taste and texture.
The taste of food is the total blend of sensations consisting not only of sensations produced by stimulating the taste buds of the tongue but also of sensations produced by stimulating the sense of touch and the sense of smell. Thus, it is known that the sense of touch, i.e., the texture of food can be the most important factor of taste. It has been observed that animal muscle consists essentially of muscle fibrils which are bundled into muscle fibers or cells. A large number of muscle fibers are further bundled into a myotome. The mode of bundling muscle fibers and the strength of the bond between muscle fibers vary from animal to animal, consequently leading to differences in the size and firmness of myotomes and, therefore, to differences in texture. Crab meat from either the legs or body, when separated into pieces, is usually separated into thread or fiber-like portions corresponding to the myotomes mentioned above.
In examining the muscle structure of crab meat, the myotomes of crab meat have been tested for strength, cross sectional shape and thickness. As a result of these tests and successful experimentation with fish meat a fibrous simulated crab meat has been invented which has the same characteristics as crab meat.